EMPORIA STATE SOFTBALL SWEEPS DAY ONE OF MIAA TOURNAMENT WITH WINS OVER ICHABODS AND BEARCATS

April 26, 2018- Emporia State continued their hot streak as the Hornets swept day one of the MIAA Tournament on Thursday in Oklahoma City.  The Hornets opened up with a 3-0 win over top seeded Washburn and was able to win on a walk-off in the second round game against Northwest Missouri.  It was the first time an eighth seed won the first two games of the MIAA Tournament since 2014.   With the two wins today, Emporia State increased their winning streak to eleven games.
 
ESU 3, WU 0
Emporia State was able to get the scoring going right from the start in game one against Washburn.  Kenzie Garvin led the game off with a walk and came around to score on Danielle Sprinkle's two-out double.  McKenna Davis followed with an RBI single to left center and Kelsey Phillips drove in the third run of the inning with a single to left field to give the Hornets an early 3-0 lead.  The Hornets would get another scoring chance in the top half of the fourth after Phillips hit a one-out double to right center.  Emporia State would get runners at the corners in the inning after Katy Rae Nordman reached on an infield single, but both runners would be left stranded.  Pitchers Kelsey Phillips and Mackenzie Thornton combined to throw a shutout, allowing three hits over seven innings as the Hornets won 3-0 in their opening round game against Washburn. 
 
At the plate, Kelsey Phillips was two for two with an RBI and a double.  Danielle Sprinkle and McKenna Davis each had an RBI and a run scored for the Hornets.
 
In the circle, Phillips picked up her seventh straight win for the Hornets as she went five innings and allowed only three hits.  Mackenzie Thornton pitched a scoreless two innings of relief to earn her first save of the year.
 
ESU 11, NWMSU 10
Emporia State was able to score 11 runs on 15 hits in the second round game against the Bearcats.  After a scoreless first inning, the Hornets were able to open up the scoring in the bottom of the second.  Destiny Ojigoh hit an RBI single to score the game's first run and a Kenzie Garvin bases-loaded walk would make the score 2-0 in favor of the Hornets.  Emporia State would get another two runs in the bottom of the third as Danielle Sprinkle hit a two-run home run to right center.  After the Bearcats scored two runs in the top of the fourth, the Hornets came right back with another two-run inning in the bottom of the frame.  Hailey Cope hit a sac fly RBI and Sprinkle drove in her third run of the game to extend the Hornets' lead to 6-2.  Both teams would exchange outs in the fifth and sixth inning.  Then in the top of the seventh, the Bearcats would rally, scoring eight runs in the inning to take a 10-6 lead.  The Hornets would come back in a big way in the bottom half of the seventh.  Caitlin VanVleck hit an RBI single to right center and after a Bearcat pitching change, Katy Rae Nordman followed with another RBI single.  Ojigoh would tie the game on her two run single up the middle and advance all the way to third base with nobody out.  Cassidy Beem ended the game on her single past the first baseman to give the Hornets the 11-10 walk-off win. 
 
Danielle Sprinkle was three for three at the plate with three RBI and hit her eighth home run of the year.  Destiny Ojigoh had two hits in the game with three RBI and a run scored.  Caitlin VanVleck and McKenna Davis each had two hits and two runs scored for the Hornets.  Hailey Cope hit her 17th double of the season to go along with an RBI and a run scored.  Kenzie Garvin, Katy Rae Nordman, and Cassidy Beem each had an RBI in the game for the Hornets.
 
Montana Mesler started the game in the circle, going six innings.  Mackenzie Thornton and Kelsey Phillips both came in to pitch in relief, with Phillips picking up her second win of the day.
 
The Hornets advance to day two of the MIAA Tournament where they will face Lindenwood on Friday, April 27.  First pitch from Oklahoma City, Okla. is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.